Quick Chana Masala
mylifeinbalancegroup.com/easy-chana-masala/A quick and easy authentic chana masala recipe that's naturally vegan but totally loaded with flavor. Comes together in about 20 minutes and made mostly from pantry staples for a simple but delicious, healthy Indian dinner.
Recipe Makes (Approximate): servings
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil (like avocado oil or ghee, if not vegan)
- 1 medium white onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or fresh garlic and ginger (See Note)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (See Note)
- 4 black peppercorns (See Note)
- 2 cardamom pods (See Note)
- 1 cinnamon stick (See Note)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- cayenne powder (to taste)
- salt
- 1 14- ounce can chickpeas (drained)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and golden but not burned, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water or so if necessary to prevent burning.
- Stir in the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, peppercorns, salt, and ginger-garlic paste. Stir constantly and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the tomato paste and all spices; stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. The mixture will turn a deeper red color. Add 1 tablespoon of water or so if necessary to prevent burning.
- Add water to create a thick gravy, starting with about 1/2 cup, and adding more depending on how saucy you like your chana masala. Stir in the drained chickpeas and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until chickpeas are softened. Taste and add more cayenne powder and/or salt to taste.
- Serve over steamed basmati rice and with naan. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have a ginger-garlic paste, use 1/2 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic and 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger.
If you don't have...
- cinnamon stick, replace it with the tiniest pinch of ground cinnamon
- cumin seeds, replace them with 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- coriander pods, replace them with a teeny tiny pinch of ground cardamom
- peppercorns, replace them with a few grinds of fresh pepper
Nutrition Information (Approximate)
Calories: 253calProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 371mgPotassium: 316mgTotal Carbs: 20gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gNet Carbs: 14gVitamin A: 285IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2.4mg
https://mylifeinbalancegroup.com/easy-chana-masala/